What happened with that Nehemiah Project? Didn’t we agree to participate? Where is all that? Well, here’s the update you’ve been waiting for!

Our Vision Team has been set:

Pam Aiken (Church Council Chair) Krista Sipe (Lay Leader)

Elizabeth Alleman Brianna Omundson

Michael Anderson Charlie Rininger

Matthew Blickley Charmaine Stokes

Katie Kerns Paul B. Thompson

John McMillan Steve James, Coach

We will meet for the first time on July 29 at 5:30 p.m. at the church. This first meeting will give us time to get to know each other, build trust with each other and work through a set of questions to begin our visioning process.

On Sunday, August 12, following the 10:30 a.m. worship service, we will be eating lunch together and then meeting with our Coach, Steve James. The meeting is planned for all afternoon, until 6:00 p.m. It’s going to be a long day!

What can you do? Pray! Pray for the members of this team that we can discern God’s unique vision and calling for the disciples of Jesus Christ who call Huntersville UMC home. We will update you further as we get into this work.

As a reminder, here are the five (5) initiatives we agree to as a church:

Let the Vision Drive: The Lay Leadership and Nominations Committee will convene a Leadership Team that will work with a guide to discern a driving vision for the church. This process will include fully defining the church’s mission statement (what it means to be in authentic Christian Community), a vision statement, and guiding values for the church. The leadership team will work with the guide to ensure that all programs, resources, and management decisions are made in a way to support the mission of the church. The leadership team will be made up of the pastor, the lay leader, the church council chairperson, and seven people who are gifted in thinking about organizational leadership. At least 3 persons on the team will be 38 years old or younger.

Be in ministry with Younger Generations: We will create a task force, and with a guide, focus on Youth ministry and the possibility of recreational ministries to further engage this community.

Leadership: We will study Leadership and Organization for Fruitful Congregations by Stephen Ross and develop systems for Lay Leadership, look at our current Staff system and align those with the driving vision of the church, with the help of a guide. The goal is to increase participation in all levels of church life.

Door to Core Discipleship Pathway: We must develop a system of connecting people from those thinking about visiting the church, to actually attending, leading to full participation in the life of the church. We will have a Discipleship Pathway team that develops and implements this strategy, with help from a Coach/Guide from the Conference.

Adopt an Attitude of Abundance: We will convene an Abundant Stewardship Team to explore how to take the stewardship in the church to the next level. We will look at debt reduction and ways to use existing resources to move the church forward in the area of financial health and engagement.

I look forward to updating you on the progress being made and seeing how God shapes us moving forward!